To Do My Duty
by CloudsofViolet
Summary: If Alanna had been a princess. Chapter Six is finally up!!! The first ball and Jonathon! R/R
1. Not Only The Obvious

Painful Fate

Chapter One

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.

Thirteen year-old Princess Alanna ran down the open corridor of the Formosus Palace, summer palace of the royal family of Clarus, island kingdom to northwest of Tortall. Father and Mother had asked that she present herself in the atrium – the most important room of their summer palace – where significant decisions and announcements were made. She had walked only a few corridors and yet she was already hot. There were two more until she reached the atrium. She greatly wished that she were wearing the flowing gown of chiffon or charmuse that she normally wore, but instead, she had been ordered to don the elegant but cumbersome royal robes reserved for the more important social and formal occasions. The base robe, made of heavy royal purple silk and belted was embroidered with lilies. It was covered by a loose, open robe of silver silk embroidered with clouds. The top robe flapped as Alanna ran down the corridors, trying to avoid be late. She stopped in front of the doors to the atrium and smoothed her gown.

The guards opened the heavy doors and announced her. To her surprise, there were only Mother and Father, seated on their thrones and her older sister, Princess Aruella, standing before them. She walked to her parents and curtsied, sweeping her robes behind her, extending one foot and lowering. 

"You may rise," said her parents. King Alan cleared his throat meaningfully. "Your mother and I have something important that concerns our kingdom to speak with you about. We have begun to discuss peace treaties with the kingdom of Tortall and our neighboring kingdom of Joppa. We have decided that in order for a concrete alliance with both kingdoms, marriage must be made between our kingdom and theirs. One of you shall marry the crown prince of Tortall, Jonathon of Conte and the other shall marry King Henderas of Joppa."

Alanna controlled her emotions, though she wanted to run back to her room and cry. She wished fervently that she did not have to leave Clarus and marry. She knew that once she was married she would no longer be able run free as she did. Mother gave her a sympathic smile but Alanna felt no better. She locked eyes with her sister, receiving a glare of resentment and anger. She looked away, confused and hurt. _Why had Aruella done that? She was no stranger to Aruella's moodiness – sometimes Aruella was cold and snappish while other times she was kind and patient – but this time she did not understand the glare Aruella had given her. She was sure Aruella loved her as she loved Aruella, but Aruella was sometimes resentful and cold._

"We hope to have the treaties sealed by the summer solstice of the next year," he finished.

Mother rang a bell and a servant came forward, bowing. She told him something Alanna could not hear.

"Yes, your Majesty," he replied and walked away.

Two servants came in with portraits of King Henderas and the prince of Tortall. Even in portrait King Henderas was not pleasing to the eye. Alanna remembered him in reality, – she had visited the kingdom of Joppa two years before with their ambassador – his rheumy eyes, spotted and wrinkled skin, his crooked nose and drooping mouth. She certainly did not want to marry the old King Henderas. The portrait had made his skin less spotted, his eyes less rheumy and his drooping mouth a line, but he was still horrible compared to the Prince Jonathon. Prince Jonathon looked as handsome as Thom, her twin had described him – Thom had visited Tortall last year before the fall equinox. Prince Jonathon had coal black hair, sapphire blue eyes, a straight nose that was not too thin or thick, and full mouth. He was young and looked to be about three years older than her.

She suddenly understood that glare of resentment that Aruella had given her. Surely the ambassador of Tortall would want her and not Aruella for the prince and then Aruella would have to marry old King Henderas. She was the "beautiful princess" and looked like Mother – except that her hair was a tumble of coppery red curls and Mother's was a smooth wave of mahogany – with the same creamy milk-white skin, large violet eyes, small nose, and full but delicate rose-colored mouth while Aruella with her squarish face and figure, brown hair, ruddy complexion and dull gray eyes was known politely by courtiers as the "other princess".

She would give anything if Aruella would be happy. _Surely whomever Aruella was married to would come to love her. Aruella was patient and docile, unlike Alanna who was headstrong and often impatient._

"Do you have anything you would like to say about this?" asked her mother.

"Nothing," Alanna and Aruella replied.

They curtsied and Alanna walked out of the atrium, but the moment she was beyond the doors, she ran, tears threatening to break, back to her room.

A/N: Please, please, please review!!! Should I continue?


	2. Embarrassment

Painful Fate

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine except for Alanna's mother, Queen Rosalind and sister Princess Aruella.

            Alanna sat on her bed, sobbing. She would have to leave Clarus! And Aruella was angry at her. She desperately wished for anything that would let her stay in Clarus. She loved Clarus. It was beautiful, with jungles in the southern islands that she loved to explore and the sunny coasts with their waves just waiting to be splashed in. The palace villas were removed from the cities with their stifling airs and rush of people.  Here she was free, without the constraints of the court. If she had to leave for Tortall, she knew she would hate it there. The castle there – as she had found out from Thom – was right in the middle of a city. It was made of gray stone and cold, unlike the beautiful and warm palace villas of Clarus. And worse, it was faraway from the coast and its fresh air and sparkling oceans. The city of Corus stank too. The river near the castle – Thom had told her – was brown and muddy. The only good thing about the castle was the it was near the Royal Forest, which in comparison to the city had fresh air, and best of all _freedom. For a little while, if she went there, she would have a little freedom. She thought about Joppa. She had liked it when she visited, as it was much like Clarus, with fresh air, jungles and a beautiful coast. The palace there was beautiful and the people were very kind. But she could not think of being married to old King Henderas for the rest of her life. He was too disgusting and repulsive to even touch, let alone live with. And worse of all, she would have to be queen right away, with no time for anything fun._

            She wished with all her energy that she was a boy. She wouldn't have to leave Clarus then. Instead, she could train as a warrior, like Thom was doing. Even though she would have to train alone – because she royal – it would be better than leaving. She got up and decided to go to her favorite spot, a niche in one of the palace gardens. She sat there alone and sad, until a maid found her for the evening banquet.

            The banquet that night seemed dull and lusterless. The creations of food, which were normally delectable and seemed to come to life, were now ordinary and boring. Despite the fact that there was a cool summer breeze and she was wearing a light gown of chiffon, the open banquet hall seemed hot and stuffy. Aruella on the other hand, was joyful and ecstatic – over the two offers of marriage, which meant that she would marry. Alanna had known from the whisperings of servants and her sister's resentful and sullen moods that until now, Aruella had no offers of marriage from other kingdoms. Fifteen – the age Aruella was now – was the age that most royal princesses left for their new home, having been betrothed at fourteen or earlier. Yet Aruella was still in Clarus, the reason that she was now often resentful and sullen towards Alanna. Alanna, the sister who was considered bad luck – twins were considered bad luck by peoples inhabiting the islands – and would have been cast away, had it not been for the fact that she was royal, had already gotten two offers of marriage, one from a mainland kingdom to the south called Carthak and another from an island kingdom called Silla.

            Alanna continued picking at her food. The banquet was _long and it seemed as if it would never end. Finally it was over and players came out to act out a scene from a book called __The Merchant's Wares. It was funny, especially when the merchant was attempting to hide all of his goods, but the sight of the ambassadors from Joppa and Tortall watching her and Aruella carefully extinguished her better mood._

            Queen Rosalind, noticing her daughter's sad mood asked "What's wrong Alanna?"

            "Nothing," Alanna replied, forcing herself to smile.

            Queen Rosalind, noticing Alanna's attempt to change her mood, gently said "If it was the news this afternoon dear, don't fret. All princesses must someday leave their home for the better of their kingdom. I had to leave my homeland to come here and marry your father. But in the end I came to love him and our kingdom. Just as you will your husband and kingdom."

            Alanna nodded mutely. _But Clarus is beautiful and Father is nice. How can I love someone if he is old, ugly, and repulsive?  Or a kingdom if it stinks and is crowded?_

_            Finally, after the water clock had run out, the play was over. Alanna sadly walked back to her room and shut the door._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Next day . . ._

            _Aruella grows more cold and resentful each day. I wish she was like when we younger and wasn't worrying about leaving Clarus and marrying. Like during the festival of Helene (the goddess of light) during the summer solstice when she isn't at all mean or resentful, but joyful and kind. Festivals make her happy, I think, because then people don't see her as ugly princess but as a normal girl._

            Alanna smiled. The festival of Helene and the summer solstice were only a few weeks away. The festival of Helene was her favorite of all the festivals. On that day, everyone is out of doors, because the festival always takes place out of doors. There were also a many games and entertainment; her favorite was Chase the Pig. In that game, a piglet with the smallest possible tail is completely soaped. The children wear their oldest clothing. Then the piglet is let loose into a muddy area. Then, as the name implies, you chase the pig. Whoever catches it wins. Last year's festival was the best because she had caught the pig. Durtney, one of Thom's friends, had almost caught it, but just as he grabbed the tail, the pig squealed and ran out of his grasp.

            "Your Highness?"

            Alanna looked up from her niche in the palace gardens. It was one of the royal seamstresses'

            "Her majesty requests that you join her and your sister for dress fittings for Your Highness's gown for the festival of Helene," the seamstress said.

            Alanna sighed. _Dress fittings. Yuck. It was not only the boredom of dress fittings that made Alanna detest them but also the tedious time. Aruella seemed to always take a __very long time choosing the fabric, cut and detail of her dress. But nevertheless, Alanna got up and trudged after the seamstress._

            Mother and Aruella were perched on stools in the _bijou – where the attire of the court was made – looking at fabrics and sketches._

            "Something with longer sleeves," Alanna heard Aruella say. They seemed not to notice her. Then Queen Rosalind turned her head and saw Alanna.

            "Have a look at what you would like for your gown, dear," said Queen Rosalind as one of the seamstresses pulled up a stool for Alanna.

            Alanna leafed through the sketches of gowns in the seamstresses' book. She heard her sister sigh depressingly as she continued her search for a gown. Alanna decided on a soft golden gown made of charmeuse with a sheer over gown of chiffon. The split caplet sleeves were made of sheer chiffon and attached to the bodice and went up in a _V from the bodice. She looked over at Mother and Aruella. Aruella was taking a __long time to decide what gown she wanted because she always insisted on looking at every sketch. _

            "No, I don't like the clingy fabric." That was Aruella.

            "Mother, may I leave?" asked Alanna.

            "No. You must learn to be patient and wait for your sister, dear," answered Queen Rosalind.

            Alanna looked out the window. There were the horse grooms, leading the horses out to picket. And two girls wearing bathing chitons in the _laverqua – the specially made swimming hole. Her feet itched and she longed to join them. Alanna decided that when she was fifteen she would certainly not take as long an Aruella to pick a gown. __Will I be in Clarus when I'm fifteen? She had already been at the royal seamstresses' for upwards of an hour. There was so much she could be doing instead of waiting for Aruella at the royal seamstresses'. Like riding her horse Starred Night or practicing the new spell she had been taught by Master Noverre, her instructor in mage craft._

            "No," said a sullen voice, "It makes me look fatter." Alanna turned around as she heard Aruella. 

            She sighed. Aruella was _still not finished choosing her gown. Alanna watched as Aruella looked over a selection of fabrics, all of them dark and heavy. __Why does Aruella like such fabrics? Surely she shall be hot when we are at the festival, as it is out of doors._

            "Does this make me look fatter Mother?" Aruella was holding up heavy dark blue brocade.

            "Dear, it matters not how you look on the outside but the inside," said Queen Rosalind, quoting an old proverb.

            Aruella broke down in tears. "Yes it does! You're trying to hide that you think it makes me fatter than I already am! No man shall ever want me! I won't ever be able to marry!"

            It always came to this – Aruella breaking down in tears and crying that she was fat and ugly and that she would never be able to marry – Alanna noted. She sighed. There _were more things in life than beauty and marriage. She wished dearly that Mother and Father would let her experience them but they always said – "Remember, it is more important to marry for the good of the kingdom than to remain free and unwed." Finally Aruella recovered from her tears and continued looking over the selection of fabrics. After much self-deliberation, she chose heavy forest green brocade. She had decided on rather dress with a rather tight looking bodice, a square neckline, long flared sleeves, and a large bell shaped skirt. Alanna wondered if she would be able to breathe in it, or even eat._

            Alanna looked up hopefully at her mother.

            "Yes, you may leave now," Mother decided.

            Alanna ran out the door towards the stables as fast as she could.

            "And take care that you don't dirty your skirts," Queen Rosalind called.

            Alanna shouted with joy as she raced towards the water's edge on Starred Night. She rode to a stop and jumped off Night. She let him wander, knowing that he would not leave. She ran towards the water's edge. As she was about to plunge in, she remembered that she had forgotten her bathing chiton. She looked doubtfully at her delicate charmeuse gown with its sheer sleeves of split chiffon. _Oh well. It would have to do. She walked into the water, feeling its coolness on her legs. She swam into the deeper parts, looking for fish. She spotted a school of __rindunus, the tiny rainbow colored fish that inhabited the __ithaquas – tide pools. _

She swam back nearer the shore and spotted a tiny white _larnqua – conch – with a pink top and speckled with yellow. She picked it up – after checking that its inhabitants weren't inside – and tucked it into a fold of her chiton for her shell collection. She surfaced and looked at the sky. The sun was beginning to set and she had better go back to the palace. Then she stopped in shock, remembering.__ Mother and Father will be truly angry if they see me like this._

            Alanna was about to turn around a corner when she heard Father and Mother conversing with someone. Their footsteps told Alanna that they were sure to see her._ Oh no. What am I going to do? She cautiously stepped around the corner, hoping to pass by unnoticed._

            King Alan and Queen Rosalind stopped abruptly in shock at the wet Alanna; with them was the Tortallan ambassador, Duke Antious of Salisan. Alanna slowly met Mother and Father's eyes; Mother's were filled disappointment and Father's were angry. Alanna lowered her head in shame, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. The ambassador uttered a small squeak.

            "Alanna," King Alan said, keeping a rein on his temper, "go to your chambers and clean yourself."

            Alanna nodded mutely and walked back to her room, head lowered in shame.

A/N: Sooo . . . review, review, review!!! Sorry if the chapter is rather boring but remember: it takes a long time for a peace treaty to be drawn up so I can't just skip to parts of it. For all you mush lovers: there won't be romance in this because 1) she's only thirteen 2) she hasn't met any guys worth writing mush about. 


	3. Requirements

Painful Fate

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me except King Alan, Queen Rosalind, Princess Aruella, and the Tortallan ambassador Duke Antious of Salisan.

            Alanna curtsied before King Alan and Queen Rosalind.

            "You may rise," said King Alan.

            Alanna rose and stood before them. For a long time, there was a perpetual silence.

            Then King Alan spoke. "Alanna. Our kingdom is in great need of an alliance with Tortall. You have done a disservice to our kingdom by endangering this treaty with Tortall for which a marriage is necessary. You have not only endangered your chance for a marriage with Jonathon of Conte, but also your sister's.

            You do not wish leave Clarus but it is necessary. For alliances with Tortall and Joppa, you and Aruella must both leave Clarus."

            King Alan stopped for a moment and looked Alanna in the eye.

            "I shall be honest with you about your sister's situation, because you will and probably already do know about your sister's situation. Since Aruella was twelve, we have been trying to secure an alliance with Tortall or Joppa through her. But as you probably know, neither kingdom was willing to – until you were of age. It was then that we began peace treaty negotiations with both kingdoms. We have not decided on which of you to send to Tortall and the other to Joppa. That is a major factor in having alliances with both kingdoms and that if one kingdom were to back out of negotiations, there is a possibility that the other would. With your actions today, it is possible that Tortall will back out of the negotiations on the grounds that your actions were not fit for any_ noblewoman and certainly not for a princess and future queen. If Tortall should back out, we would only be able to secure an alliance with Joppa, or possibly not at all. You see that your actions can tip the balance between having two alliances or none at all. I hope you will keep this in mind in the future."_

            Queen Rosalind smiled at her kindly.

            "Alanna, you are no longer a girl," she said. "You must understand what your actions mean for Clarus. If you leave for Joppa, you must play the part of a queen, a dignified, ladylike, and magnanimous noblewoman who aids her husband during his reign. I know the Joppan court is much like our own, but if you are there, you will be expected to play the part of a queen, not a young girl. If you go to Tortall, you shall be expected to play to of a refined princess; a proper, obedient, and ladylike noblewoman. Things like those take time to learn. That is why we have hoped you would become a proper young lady of your status, as Aruella is. That is why from now on, you are expected act according to your status. You are dismissed."

            Alanna curtsied and walked out of the _atrium. The moment she was beyond anyone's sight, she ran to her niche in the palace gardens._

            She curled up and stared angrily at the ground. _I hate__ these treaties. She wanted to be free and no longer a princess. __I could run away to the woods and live on berries and nuts and be free. But deep inside of her, she knew that she never could. She had her duty to Clarus and besides, she would never make it to the woods. She got up and walked towards the balcony that overlooked the sea. It was her favorite one and made her feel calm when she was angry. She wondered if the palace in Joppa would have one; she knew the one in Tortall wouldn't, as it was inland. She saw Ambassador Salisan walking towards her. She tried to avoid him but she could not. He bowed._

            "Your Highness," he said with a condescending look and continued on his way.

            She looked after him with distaste. _Would all Tortallans be like that – condescending and arrogant? Would the prince be like that? She walked towards the banister of the balcony and looked out at the sunset. She felt calm and at peace. She heard someone walk up behind her. It was Aruella. She looked sad and mournful._

            "What's wrong?" asked Alanna.

            "Eleanor said I was fat and that I would never marry!" she cried.

            Eleanor was the daughter of the duke of Clothine and icy in both looks and manner.

            "She's wrong. I'm sure of that," assured Alanna.

            "No! It's true and I know it is!" sobbed Aruella. Then she straightened and said, "I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday."

            "Don't worry, it's not that much," lied Alanna. She didn't want to tell her what Mother and Father had said or Aruella would just get sadder.

            "I suppose we should go into dinner," said Aruella, looking at the sky. They turned around and walked down to the dining hall.


	4. Reality

Painful Fate

Chapter Four

Disclaimer : None of these characters belong to me except Queen Rosalind, Princess Aruella, Duke Antious of Salisan

            It was finally the day of the festival of Helene. Alanna impatiently waited as her undertire woman helped her into her gown. Then her maid Celia plaited her hair into a crown of braids, weaving in lily blossoms. Celia was not only her maid, but also her friend. Finally Celia was done.

            Alanna jumped out of her chair and grabbed Celia's hand.

            "Come on, let's go!" she said.

            The two girls skipped out of the room, through the palace and went down to the meadow where the festival was taking place.

            "Look, the kite-fighting has started," said Celia.

            Kite-fighting was a pastime of many Clarusans. People tried to cut down others' kites with the piece of glass attached to their kite until theirs was the only kite left flying.

            Alanna and Celia went to a nearby stand to purchase kites and joined in the competition. They wove their kites in among the others, cutting them down. Then they noticed that only about thirty kites were left; many had been cut down by a black kite wielded by a boy of near twelve. They avoided his kite while cutting down others. A white kite came near Alanna's, but she maneuvered her's around and cut it down. She managed to cut three more down until the black kite cut her's down. There were only a few kites left. But Celia's was still up. Celia cut down a green one while the black kite cut down another. Celia's and the black kite were the only ones left. Both maneuvered their kites, attempting to cut the other down while the crowd watched

"You can make it Celia," she said.

Then Celia maneuvered hers above the black one and brought it down. The boy tried to move his away, but it was cut down. Cheers and yells filled the air. Celia was brought to middle of the ring made by the crowd as a green ribbon with a snake was tied 

They walked towards one of the tables holding the food. They filled their plates and sat down at one of the tables. Today, there was no seating arrangement and they could sit wherever they pleased. Alanna saw her parents and a few around her arm, bestowing the title of the winner upon her. Alanna congratulated her as she walked out of the ring.

"Come on, it's time for the feast," Celia said. The highest nobles, including the ambassadors from Tortall and Joppa seated at the high table. The Duke of Salisan seemed rather uncomfortable in his surroundings while his counterpart, the Marquis of Anjou was enjoying himself. Alanna turned her attention back to her food. Alanna and Celia began talking about the games that were to take place after the feast.

"Do you think you'll catch the pig again?" Celia was referring the game Chase the Pig.

"Maybe. But I really want to win the pole race. I almost won last year. Do you think we'll win the tug-of-war?"

In the tug-of-war, the women were united against the men, with each side trying to pull the other into the water first. It was one of the biggest festivities of the festival.

"Yes. Last year we won. It was funny afterwards when your brother kept on saying that they would of won, if it weren't for the bees and then he fell into the water."

The two girls continued talking until the feast was over.

The contestants in "Chase the Pig" gathered in a large group near the pigpen. Alanna went over to join them.

"Alanna." She heard Father call her.

She turned around and ran back.

"Alanna, I am sorry, but you will not be able to participate in any of the games. You need to set a good image for the ambassadors, especially the Duke of Antious.

"But-"

"I am sorry, but that is final."

Alanna walked away sadly, to where the viewers were watching. _I suppose it will be fun to watch them, she thought, trying to console herself. No use. __My last chance to play the Festival Games, and it's gone because of some stupid ambassador! I wish he'd never come! She didn't pay attention to the game, not even when they announced the winner. She walked around sadly the rest of the time. Reality had finally come in. __I really am going to have to leave Clarus._

A/N: Hope you liked it. Sorry for not updating sooner, but I had a lot to do.


	5. I Shall Hold On

A/N: Those previous chapters were just memories. I decided that it would be too long and boring to write over a year of negotiations.

Chapter Five

            As she stood on the Tortallan shore, she vividly recalled those memories – of finding out about the alliances with Tortall and Joppa, the embarrassing incident concerning the Duke of Salisan, her last truly free – and yet also one of the saddest – moments. They seemed so far away now, memories of a time that was so different from now, a time when now seemed like it would never come. But she would hold on and remember them, as surely as one would hold on to the light that shone in shadow. And she watched as the ship that had brought her here sailed away into the distance, returning to a place she would never again see. 

            "Milady?" It was Celia.

            "Oh, sorry."

            An entourage of carriages and horses were waiting for them. The hawk-nosed Duchess of Salisan stiffly (and rather impatiently) motioned for Alanna to enter the first carriage. Alanna quickly made to enter the carriage as a footman assisted her. Celia made to follow her, but a reedy voice stopped her.

            "It is not the etiquette for servants to ride in carriages with their mistresses," said the Duchess of Salisan.

            "No. Celia will ride with me. I have no companion but her," said Alanna.

The Duchess of Salisan gave her an affronted look, but could say nothing against her. Celia entered the carriage and the Duchess sat stiffly in the seat opposite them. There was not much conversation the entire ride to Fief Landlin. The stifling air the Duchess of Salisan imposed stopped all conversation between Celia and Alanna. It was almost evening when they arrived at Fief Landlin. They were shown to their rooms and baths drawn up. After bathing, she changed into a soft golden gown. The softly burnished golden sleeves were tied on, leaving gaps through which there were puffs of her chemise, one at her shoulder and another at the elbow. The waistline was high, tied with a thin ribbon the same color of her sleeves. Her hair was twisted into a crown roll*.

            The duchess escorted her to the dining hall. The table at the front (the only one) looked very small in the large hall. But the feast was big; very big for the few people in attendance. The Lord Landlin was kind, and a good conversationalist. He asked much of the customs of Clarus and Alanna learned much about Tortall. _The Tortallan court seems much more complicated, with a lot of protocol and etiquette. How can one eat every night when many others are watching them? Tis' uncomfortable._

            When the meal was over, Lord Landlin took her on a tour of his castle. From the highest tower, she could see the waves beating upon the cliffs. Everything was made of hard, grey stone, and the halls possessed a shadowy air, even when torches were burning very unlike the warm, open palace in Clarus that was full of light and air. But she liked the high towers that let her see far beyond, something that did not exist in the villa-like palace of Clarus. When the tour was over, it was night, and Alanna bid him good night and was brought back to her room by a servant. 

            Alanna and Celia talked of their day. The Tortallans were very formal, they agreed. They talked of what they hoped Corus would be like. Then Alanna changed into her nightgown, washed up and went to sleep.

            The next day, they set out from Fief Landlin at noon. From there, it was a half-day's ride to Corus. Alanna was excited; perhaps this Tortall would not be so bad after all. Her time at Fief Landlin had been quite enjoyable; the everyday life there seemed like what it was at home. Home… she wondered sadly about what was happening there. It would be time for the Festival of Mirian, the goddess of plants and crops. She wondered about Thom, had he started learning the mace yet? _What about Mother and Father? And Aruella? She would have been at Joppa for a few months now. Was King Henderas nice? What about the court there? They arrived at Corus at sunset._

            She was shown her chambers and a bath drawn up for her. After she bathed, she changed into a light blue silk gown with a flared skirt. The sleeves were very wide from the elbow, reaching past her knees. They were split* and tied at several points, leaving gaps through which the chemise showed. The neckline and sleeve hems were bordered in blue. The waistline was belted with a silver girdle* and the long ends hung down in a thin line to the hem of the gown. The train extended a few feet.

            The supper was of a smaller sort, one that was quite unusual in Court. The prince was not there. Alanna was told she would meet him later, at the first ball of the season. The King Roald and Queen Lianne were very kind and told her much of the customs of the court. They were more complicated and formal than when she had first learned about them. Things like – a princess always had to be accompanied by at least two of her ladies-in-waiting and she would never go out into the city. _There was never anything silly like that at home! And whenever a courtier passed by anyone of royal rank, he would have to bow and address them as '__Your Highness' or '__Your Majesty' depending on whether they were a king, queen, prince or princess. __There had been nothing like that at home, either.__ People would simply bow their heads and head on their way. The supper, though a smaller one by Tortallan standards – there appeared to be about thirty-five people in attendance, all high ranking nobles and their wives, was rather formal, compared to the merrier ones in Clarus. __In Clarus, at banquets like these and smaller, there was much merrymaking and jokes. Will there be nothing here but stuffy courtiers and somber meals? After the meal, Alanna was escorted back to her chambers. _

She and Celia talked about their first experience in Corus. Even the servants were very rank-conscious, said Celia. The upper servants were often condescending towards the lower ones. Servants were often not treated well by their masters or mistresses, she said. The serving maid who had sat next to her had a large bruise on her arm – a result of spilling a little gravy on a courtier's tunic. Alanna told Celia of the customs she had learned about, and they both laughed as they talked about how shocked the Tortallans would be at the things they had done at home.

"What would they think of swimming?"

"They don't even have pools here."

"They don't?" said Alanna in a surprised voice. "But what about in the summer, when it's hot?"

"I suppose they just sit out in the gardens. Though it must be awfully hot in those heavy dresses of theirs."

"Yes. And some of the skirts are puffed up so it looks like they are wearing giant bells!" said Alanna as she and Celia laughed.

"And they also wear corsets. Even the servants. It must be extremely hard to breath."

"I suppose it's because so many of the women at court are fat. It doesn't seem like they are supposed to do anything but sit around, embroider or talk. I definitely don't want to wear any of their stuffy dresses. No one ever wore anything silly like that at home."

"Did you see the Prince?"

"No, but the King and Queen were at the supper. They were nice, but the supper was just too formal."

"Well they have balls during the social season, don't they?"

"Yes, but those are really just time for the knights and ladies to court."

They talked for a while more, and then retired for the night.

The next morning, after she awoke and dressed, she had breakfast. Then the Duchess requested that she meet with her. She immediately requested that she change into a Tortallan style gown, saying that it was more 'proper'. She talked much about etiquette and taught her more of the court dances, which were quite stiff and formal, with none of the joyous feeling of the dances in Clarus. She practiced her curtsy to the King so many times she felt she might just collapse from tiredness. Finally, it was over.

But then, the Duchess said she would have a court lady who was to be her lady-in-waiting show her around the palace grounds. But Alanna could not stand another second in the company of these Tortallans. So when the Duchess (or the Lady Etiquette, as she had begun to call her privately) went to the privy, she snuck out of the room and went back to her chambers, where Celia said she would be. She quickly changed out of that horrid gown and put on one she had brought with her to Tortall.

"Celia, let's go around the palace," suggested Alanna.

"I'm not sure. The midday meal shall be coming up soon and we shall be late if we get lost."

"Don't worry. We won't go too far, okay?"

"Alright." 

They walked out of the room and down the hall and after a few turns they came to a large and solemn hall. Along the walls were portraits of men and women, the men looking most similar to each other, with their dark, often black hair and (usually) blue eyes. From this, Alanna supposed they were in the Hall of Kings (portrait gallery). Most of the women had light, golden hair. A few possessed dark locks, but that was all. Alanna wondered how she would look when she was up there. _Would visitors think strangely of a copper-haired, violet-eyed queen? She wondered about her reception tonight at the banquet. There would be hundreds of courtiers and nobles. Normally, she told, only a few nobles were in court at this time – mid-September – as the social season did not start until October. But they had come earlier this year because she – the prince's betrothed – had arrived and they wanted to see the person who would be their future queen. __Would they think strangely of this improper and unmannered foreigner, as Lady Etiquette did? Though she had not told Alanna that, Alanna was quite sure, from the looks she had received. Then it was time for the midday meal._

She bid Celia goodbye – Celia would eat later with the servants – and walked down to her chambers. Only when she arrived did she realize she did not know how to get to the dining hall. She felt rather guilty for just leaving and remembered that she had promised herself she would do her duty to her empire. She would. She would help create the alliance with Tortall by doing her duty – marrying Prince Jonathon. But now . . . everything seemed to be going wrong and she had not even met Prince Jonathon. She did not like the court, Lady Etiquette thought she was unmannered and improper, would everything be this way? Then there was a knock on the door. 

It was the Duchess. She gave Alanna a disapproving look.

"There is no time to change into a _proper gown, so I suppose the best we can do is fix your hair," she said with a disapproving look at Alanna's loose hair._

Proper gown indeed! Her gown was perfectly fine. She would certainly do her duty but she supposed she could at least dress in the manner she wanted to.

Lady Etiquette called a maid to fix her hair. Her hair was parted at the sides and pulled up, with two lace braids* from the middle of the part line. It was secured and the rest left loose.

She was escorted to the dining hall. _There were masses of people, and it seemed as she walked to the High Table, that every eye was upon her. __It felt quite cold, despite the torches and masses of people. Perhaps it was the hall. It seemed cold the minute she looked upon it, made of cold, gray stone, it was. She felt as if she were one of the animals in the animal gardens back home – stared at as if she were a strange object of curiosity. _

            The banquet was quite lavish, with many courses – twelve to be precise. But there was none of the merrymaking and jokes that Alanna was used to. It was rather prim and boring. People conversed with their dining partners – in the lower tables, that is. At the High Table at the front, it seemed to Alanna that the monarchs and few nobles there were presiding over the banquet with a very formal air – as if it were not a merry time to laugh and be joyous but a solemn and serious affair. Alanna looked at the table of unmarried ladies of the court and wished she could be with them, laughing and talking, instead of up here at this stiff and boring table. The courses came in monotony, except for the subtleties. They were beautiful and fragile, created mostly out of spun sugar and almond paste. There were gardens and animals, captured as if they were almost alive. The banquet was finally over. It was well past two.

            The Duchess escorted Alanna back to her chambers. When they arrived there, she – the Duchess – proceeded to give Alanna a stern lecture on courtesy, and etiquette.

            "Princess Alanna, your activities before dinner were in absolute violation of the courtesy and etiquette of our kingdom. It is not proper for a princess in any circumstances, and most certainly not yours, to be walking around unaccompanied. The sort of problems that could occur if your activities were known to the court are the worst of the imagination. It is not only about this court and our etiquette, but also the alliance. I hope you shall keep this in mind for any possible future 'trysts'," she said. "I shall now introduce you to your ladies-in-waiting."

            They were absolutely boring and drab – her ladies-in-waiting, all twelve of them. She could not possibly imagine how much worse it would be when she would be Queen and there would be even more of those _ladies. It had been the third day since she had met them and they were absolutely boring. Here she was, sitting in her chambers and she could not even read a book in peace, for she had to become "acquainted with the court." So she was listening to them talking about the most annoying subject ever – palace gossip – as they were embroidering a tapestry. There seemed to be endless talk of who was courting whom, snide remarks about other courtiers, especially ones who were not quite the 'norm' or had strange looks and such. __Is this to be the rest of my life? Sitting around with these horrid women and poking at a tapestry. King Henderas of Joppa most certainly sounds like a better fate. The afternoon wore on. She could hardly wait for night, when she would have time to talk with Celia._

            Then came the palace dressmakers. It was not of much interest to Alanna, these strange clothes. But everyone else seemed to be in excitement – for the dresses that were to be made were for the first ball of the season. But Alanna knew she would not wear this attire. There would not be much left of her land to hold on to in the future and she would make the most of it now. But it would surely cause gossip and controversy if the betrothed of the heir refused to wear the attire of her 'land'. So she let herself be pinned up for a gown. _But I will hold on to what I have left._

A/N : Hope it was a good ending. Bit of foreshadowing there in the chapter. I had originally hoped to include the night's banquet in there as more of what Alanna sees of Tortallan culture but I decided this might be a better ending. Sorry for taking so long to get it out. Review!


	6. Author's Note

Note: Alanna will probably meet Jonathon in the next chapter. As for romance, the only thing I will say is that she won't be falling in love with other people. Thanks for all the reviews! The next chapter will be up soon, hopefully.


	7. Roots

Chapter Six

            Alanna walked through the gardens. It felt peaceful, reminiscent of the times before she had come to Tortall. But running through her head were many thoughts. Tonight would be the first ball of the season. It would be the first time she would meet Prince Jonathon. She wondered about him. _Was he actually as handsome as she had seen in the portrait (or as the other court ladies had said)? What would he be like? She hoped he wouldn't be as the other Tortallans were – drab and stuffy. But most of all, would she like him? Or actually, would he like her, as Lady Etiquette had often emphasized these two weeks. And according to Lady Etiquette, he most certainly would not. She was too wild, unrefined and unproper. _

A princess was supposed to be the model of a perfect court lady – elegant, refined, keeping with the fashion, – which in Tortall, was currently horrid – modest, and she did not consort with those below her station. She, Alanna met none of those, according to the Lady Etiquette (and she was sure also, to the other courtiers). She did not care for embroidery, for in Clarus, it had been the work of only tailors and seamstresses. But in Tortall, there seemed to be no end to the embroidering of tapestries. She was most certainly not refined, having run off without an escort. Her raiment was immodest – for it was not keeping with the fashion and was vulgar – for only common people did not wear corsets. She was impudent, having remarked uncourteously (even if she had not truly meant it) towards some of Tortall's (strange) customs and etiquette. With this all, she supposed it would not matter if Prince Jonathon did like her, for (apparently) the people of Tortall would decide she was not fit to be Queen, according to Lady Etiquette. The bell rang four times; it was exactly three and a half hours until tonight's banquet. She decided to go back to her chambers.

Celia was there, tidying up the drawing room. They talked of the coming ball. Celia was sure that the Prince would like Alanna, after all, it was just that most of the Tortallans happened to be rather boring. And the Prince sounded like someone who would not be boring or drab, as she had heard from passing courtiers and servants. Celia said she was sure they would come to love each other. Alanna felt reassured, after all, Celia did see more people than she did and surely at least _some of them were not boring or drab. They talked nervously about Alanna's reception in Tortall; while Celia was quickly accepted, Alanna was afraid that she might not be well accepted. But Celia was sure that Alanna would be accepted well by most of the courtiers; after all, the King and Queen would have known she was right for their kingdom. Alanna wondered greatly about other court ladies, apart from her ladies-in-waiting. Perhaps there would be some ladies that were not so . . . so . . . drab, said Celia. After all, surely they weren't all the same, Celia said. Then suddenly, there was only one and a half hours until the banquet._

She dressed in a fine herringbone wool gown of lilac. The gown was in a Clarusan style, with long flared sleeves and a flared skirt, but she supposed it was the best she could do for Tortallan style. There was a puff at each shoulder, and cream colored ribbons were crisscrossed over the bodice. Ribbons were also crisscrossed on the upper sleeves and they hung down to the ends of her sleeves, which were quite long. Her slippers were lilac silk and beaded with pearls. Her hair was done in a more complicated style than usual circlet. Two braids were pulled back from the sides of her head, and then twisted into a knot, with the rest of the hair left loose. Two thin accent braids were slightly crossed over at the back. Then the Duchess came to escort her to the banquet. She directed a rather disapproving look towards Alanna's gown, but said nothing. 

Over the past two weeks, she had been met with persistence over the topic of proper dress. Alanna had refused to dress in court fashion, instead, donning the immodest dress of her homeland. She sighed. If things continued this way, the next Queen was to have a hard time as Princess.

The banquet was far by the largest she had ever attended. It was the first time she had set eyes on Prince Jonathon and he seemed as handsome as she had seen in the portrait. After the announcement of the betrothal, the banquet commenced. It seemed as if every noble in Tortall was present. And it was not helping her conversation with the Prince. Many eyes seemed to be turned upon them and their mouths ready to gossip. The Prince himself was not that bad, she supposed. He had thought her raiment quite strange though. 

"Why do you not dress in our fashion?" he had asked.

"Because I find it strange, as you do mine," she replied. "In Clarus, our dress is not as restricting, or heavy. I mean no offense, but I find Tortallan dress rather uncomfortable and ostentatious.

"But our dress is more modest. Does your empire not find it scandalous to show off parts of ladies' chemises?"

"It is simply just the style," she replied.

They had discussed the festivals of their lands. It was surprising to find out that the monarchs and nobles did not participate in any festivals with commoners. They were above such consorting, said the Prince. Alanna had explained that in some festivals, monarchs mingled with commoners because the people expected to see their King and speak to him. Monarchs did not consider themselves "above such consorting". After all, they were leaders, not rulers. She was also shocked to find out that he thought games such as Chase the Pig, tug-of-war, and the pole race improper for "ladies" as he had said. _Improper? Unmannerly? She was quite confused at this Tortallan etiquette. But there was not much time left to flounder in her thoughts as the banquet was over and the King and Queen were leading the nobles into the ballroom._

They – the King and Queen – sat upon tall golden thrones presiding over the ball. She and the Prince led the first dance. It was not the most complicated of the Tortallan dances she had learned, but it seemed rather stiff and formal. After a few dances, the Prince left to dance with several other ladies of the court. She sat down to observe the ball. Most of the matrons tended to wear darker gowns as opposed to the bright (and rather ostentatious) gowns of the younger ladies. They sat amongst themselves, gossiping. A few men danced with their wives, but it seemed that most of the dancers were younger ladies and knights. Squires walked amongst the dancers and the seated, offering refreshments. She took time to observe the dress that the Prince had said was "proper" and "modest". The gowns the ladies wore seemed to be very heavy and rather stiff, as opposed to the more flowing gowns she wore. The fabrics were very rich, mostly damasks, brocades, and velvets. The bodices of the gowns were rather stiff and slightly cone shaped. The skirts were very wide and slightly rounded and stiff, as opposed to the skirts on Clarusan style gowns, which were sometimes wide, but flared and more flowing. Some of the other skirts worn by the Tortallan court ladies were slightly bell-shaped and most of them opened up to reveal often elaborately patterned or embroidered underskirts. The sleeves apparently consisted of two sleeves, a bell-shaped over sleeve that sometimes ended between the elbow and wrist and an under sleeve that ended around the wrist. The under sleeve was rounded and sometimes had a part that stuck out, making the upper sleeve seem wider. Around the waist, many ladies wore girdles. They were similar in shape to the type on Clarusan gowns, but were much more elaborate, often set with many precious stones. Their jewelry was also elaborate,.with ropes of pearls or gold chains adorned with precious stones that were often so long they were wrapped once around the neck and left to hang down quite far or tucked into the bodice  She could not imagine running or really doing much of anything (unless it was embroidery) in such gowns. They apparently wore such gowns everyday, though they were usually less elaborate.

She observed the King and Queen, who seemed to be very loving towards each other. She spotted the Prince talking to them, and then he walked towards her and asked her to dance. She accepted politely, as was the custom. As they danced, they did not really talk of much. He asked how she liked Tortall and tonight's ball. She replied that they were both quite pleasant, though secretly she thought otherwise. After another dance, he left and went to dance with a dark-haired lady. She had noticed that this particular lady had garnered the attentions of many knights, but had danced many times with the Prince. The other ladies dressed in bright, trimmed gowns, but she was clad simply in an undecorated gown of green opening onto a white underskirt, with simple white under sleeves. With her dark hair, green eyes and milk white complexion, she stood out from the other ladies with their golden tresses, blue eyes and rosy complexions. She did not observe them for much longer because she had been asked to dance by a brown-haired knight.

A/N: Well, another chapter. *He, he*. Was that Delia? 

On clothing and such – My Tortallan dress is inspired by the gowns of the Tudor period. Tortallan dress always had that sort of feel, so I've decided to make their gowns like that. It also serves to illustrate the stiff court Alanna enters and the restrictions. Tortallan dress also tends to be ostentatious, representing that a lot of the nobles tend to be snobby, i.e. – the Duchess. Clarusan dress, by contrast is not stiff and restricted. It's inspired by medieval gowns which had long flared sleeves, and a wide, but flowing gown. Men's dress for both empires is mostly the same – tunic and hose or breeches. For examples of Tudor dress go here – www.uvm.edu/hag/sca/tudor/. 

For examples of Medieval dress go here – www.enchantedcostumes.com/medieval_costumes.shtml .


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note

About the last note: I have possibly changed my mind about the contents of the last note. But just to let you know, nothing is definite.


	9. Hope

Chapter Seven

            She walked amongst the garden in the courtyard, lost in thought and observing the flowers. Which is why she did not notice when she bumped into the brown-haired knight she had danced with last night.

            "Good afternoon, Your Highness," said a voice as she looked up in surprise.

            "And to you," she replied.

            "I hope last night was a good experience," he said.

            "It certainly was. For a first experience of these court balls, I say it turned out pretty good in the end." _Yes, the end was definitely the best._

            "And meeting Jonathon wasn't?" he asked jokingly.

            "He was certainly _interesting,_" she said hesitatingly, after searching for the right word._ After all, I don't want to offend him. The Prince is__ his friend._

            "He can be a bit of a prig at times. But he lightens up when you get to know him," he said.

            "Well I suppose since it was only the first meeting I will get to know him better," she replied.

            "And with your fair face, lady, I'm quite sure that will be. Not that I wouldn't mind getting to know you better," he said flirtatiously as she giggled.

            "And are you sure you're the _only _one?" she replied with the same charm.

            "Certainly not. But our gallant knight Jonathon shall prevail in the end, shan't he?" he said jokingly.

            "Yes, I think he shall," she replied.

            "You only think?" he asked jokingly.

            "I'm quite sure, though," she replied in the same manner. "But I fear I must depart now."

            "Then let me escort you to your chambers, fair lady." He bowed flirtatiously.

            Alanna sat with her ladies-in-waiting, embroidering a tapestry. Stitch by stitch, the outline of a deer was formed. But her thoughts were far away. Last night's banquet hadn't been what she hoped it would be – meeting a less priggish betrothed. _Yes, that Sir Gareth of Naxan's description of her betrothed had been quite accurate. _She hoped the tonight's ball might be better. After all, perhaps the Prince was just surprised by Clarusan customs. _But he need not say they were immodest. Or unmannerly_, she thought as she tried to push those thoughts away._ It would do me no good if I dislike him. But the ball wasn't that bad. After all, meeting Sir Gareth was a good experience._ She hoped they might be friends in the future. They had a good conversation last night over the dancing. Not all Tortallans were as stuffy as she had thought. Unfortunately, Jonathon, as she had found out, was quite a traditionalist. But they – she and Sir Gareth – had a good conversation over the topic of festivals. She had found out there was only _one festival – Beltane – not in the social season. Mostly, nobles stayed on their fiefs summer, spring and part of fall, then came for the winter social season. __Tis'_ bound to be quite boring most of the year, _she reflected._

 Alanna enjoyed festivals greatly – the games, fun, and dancing. They were always great times of celebration in Clarus, whether it was for a god or otherwise. But Tortallans didn't really have any festivals. Just mostly balls or masques. She supposed masques would be quite fun, but so far, the one ball she had attended hadn't been too interesting, save meeting Sir Gareth. It was just that everything here seemed so . . . _courtly. Even__ the balls, which she had thought would be more like the festivals in Clarus  As if the people couldn't just freely express their feelings, but had to be constantly polite. Everything seemed to be about rank. People dressed quite ostentatiously, as if in an attempt to impress others. And if the Lady Etiquette was any guide, nobles could be quite full of self-importance. They seemed not to care much about the commoners._

"– absolutely ruined."

"Yes. It's quite sad. She rarely ventures out even. She wasn't even at last night's ball," Alanna overheard.

"And remember when she used to flaunt her beauty so openly? Now, I wager that even a bandit wouldn't look at her!" said Lady Winifred with a small smirk.

"She only ventures out with the heaviest of veils. I saw her yesterday in the gardens. Floating about sadly," said Lady Marguerite.

"Well it certainly serves her right," said the snide Lady Octavia. "Flaunting around like that! Humph!" She stabbed particularly hard at the fabric.

Alanna got up to go for a walk in the gardens. 

"It is not the etiquette," said Lady Etiquette, with a look directed at Alanna. And as Alanna exited her chambers, her ladies-in-waiting and Lady Etiquette followed.

As she walked through the halls, her ladies-in-waiting followed, gossiping amongst themselves. She walked through a maze of stairways and halls, finally leading her to a single winding staircase. She walked up the staircase, winding around and around, until she was at the top. Alone. She looked down, seeing her ladies-in-waiting and the Duchess slowly inch up the staircase. She walked to the balcony, seeing all of Corus spread before her. A breeze ruffled her hair and she looked down upon the city and felt quite peaceful and free, even. As if everything in the world had mattered no longer.

"Your Highness?" the reedy voice of the Duchess interrupted. "The banquet is to start in an hour and a half. We must return to prepare."

_The banquet._ Alanna turned around and nodded and they walked down the winding staircase, through halls and stairways. Alanna returned to her chambers with the Duchess and the other ladies dispersed to their own chambers to prepare.

Alanna was dressed in a gown of fine herringbone wool in brilliant mauve, with delicate embroidered golden inserts at the elbows, from which the sleeves flared out widely. Small puffs of chemise peeked through at the shoulders and round her waist was a delicately woven golden girdle, the long thin tails hanging down to the hem of her gown. Celia dressed her hair simply (that is, by Tortallan standards), with her hair parted above her ears and two thin braids from the middle of the part line, all secured in the back of her head with a golden circlet from which a pearl hung from the middle.

She was escorted to the banquet and seated next to the Prince. They conversed politely over the day's happenings. Though perhaps their conversation was more free-flowing than yesterday's, she felt that there was still a barrier of polite formality. Alanna did not want to make him disapprove even more of her habits, so she said nothing about her meeting with Sir Gareth and her opinion of him (the Prince), and told him simply that she had gone for a walk around the gardens instead of up to that tall tower. He told her of his training at arms and of his friends – Sir Gareth, Sir Raoul and Sir Alexander, who was noted as one of the best fencers in court. She wanted to ask him more on his training, but it was not a topic for ladies, as Lady Etiquette had said. So she held her tongue, because she did not want him to think worse on her habits and thoughts. Thus, it was not a very engaging conversation, and her eyes often looked to the other nobles, all chatting merrily with their dining partners, and she saw that he did also, his eyes seeming to rest longest on that dark-haired lady he had danced with last night. She dressed in all dramatic black and white, unjeweled, a contrast to the brightly colored and bejeweled gowns of the other ladies. She was not quite sure if it was simply her imagination, but it seemed as if the lady had returned one of his glances. But she simply told herself that even if she had, it meant nothing, for they could be friends. Their conversation had ceased and Alanna concentrated on her meal. It seemed to continue for quite long, hours and hours, though it was really only three hours. Then finally the subtleties. They were magnificent creations – delicate and intricate scenes and castles, artful figures and representations of the gods. Alanna marveled at them. There had been nothing like these in Clarus. Wonderful creations passed by, and then were cut up and served. After another half hour, the banquet finally ended and the King and Queen led the courtiers into a ballroom.

She and the Prince led several other pairs of dancers in the first dance. Then other couples joined in and the floor was full of people. She could barely make out the gathering of older matrons gossiping amongst themselves. After several dances, she found herself seated, watching the dancers. Jonathon was dancing with a slender golden-haired lady in a yellow damask gown over orange silk. The dark-haired lady in black and white was surrounded by a group of knights. The King and Queen sat upon golden thrones, the Queen in a gown of pale blue trimmed with gold braid and the King in a silver tunic and blue hose. Then Sir Gareth asked her to dance and they moved into the throng of dancers. She wanted to ask him about the dark-haired lady whom she had thought exchanged glances with the Prince, but was afraid of the response she might get, so she did not say anything. As they danced, Sir Gareth told her about the people at the ball. The dark-haired lady in black and white was Lady Accalia. He mentioned the ribbon round her throat from which a jewel hung. Alanna had noticed it last night, but had not thought much upon it. Sir Gareth told her that there were rumors that she wore the ribbon to conceal a mole or birthmark that grew upon her throat.

"Her admirers don't seem to mind," remarked Alanna.

"Yes, but one would wonder why she simply didn't have the mole removed."

"Perhaps there is no mole, and she simply likes wearing a jeweled ribbon around her throat," she replied. As they moved amongst the dancers, Alanna noticed that Jonathon was now dancing with Lady Accalia.

Alanna asked him about the King and Queen. King Roald was known as the Peacemaker; unlike he was from his father, King Jasson who had expanded much of Tortall's borders. Jonathon, as a traditionalist, would probably be much like the old king. The Queen was his father's sister and very much a court lady, although she did not gossip and was not prone to ostentatious displays of finery. She had taken sick much in the past year, and though she had always been frail, she had grown weaker. He mentioned the Duke Roger of Conte, who was a nephew of the King's. He was a great sorcerer and well known in the eastern realms. Alanna had never heard of him, being that her island homeland was far away from Tortall (though they had trading connections) and magic had never been of great importance. It had been a question of great pondering with the court gossips (nearly everyone) that he had not taken a wife, as he was certainly handsome enough to attract a good number of ladies and his rank was quite desired by many ladies of the court. They talked much about the history of Tortall. The monarchs here were certainly different from her homeland. There had been very few marriage treaties with other empires. In Clarus, many of the queens had come from other empires. But most Tortallans thought themselves above such "barbarians", which they considered most of the surrounding empires and most certainly Westerners. The treaty with Clarus had simply been for more trading rights. Tortall desired the fine silks, marble, and the purple dye of the _placnus_ shell that Clarus had to offer. And though the Yamani Islands were closer to Tortall and had what they desired, they had never considered a treaty (and only traded once a year with them) with them on the basis that they were utter barbarians. Alanna replied that then Tortall's perception of other empires was most certainly wrong. Other empires, including Western empires had great achievements and a civilized people, and that civilized people had a true understanding of other cultures and an open view. It was only barbarians that were shortsighted.

"I did not mean to offend you, Princess," he said apologetically. "I do not have the view that other empires are barbaric."

"Nor did I mean to offend you," she replied embarrassedly.

"I was not offended. It's quite good to see other views of the world, something we don't quite have here," he said as they sat down.

She nodded, agreeing. The Prince appeared in front of her and asked her to dance. With a quick smile at Sir Gareth, she got up and took the Prince's hand. They glided amongst the dancers. The Prince was silent and she did not have anything to say, and so they danced wordlessly, executing the complicated steps. There was a slight stiffness to his steps that she noticed. And when the dances changed to freer ones, it was still there, accompanied by the wordlessness. Then he suddenly asked if she would like to go for a walk in the gardens. Politely, she replied the dictated answer and they walked through the doors to the gardens. The walk was rather strange and slightly uncomfortable, though Alanna showed none of her feelings. After a couple walks around the garden, he asked her how she was enjoying tonight's ball. And she was able to reply truthfully that she enjoyed it. She asked him in turn how he was enjoying the ball and he replied that it was pleasant. He inquired as to her meeting with Sir Gareth and she told him they had a polite conversation. He nodded politely and they walked once more around the garden wordlessly.

Upon their return to the ballroom, he went to dance with a golden haired lady in a red velvet gown and damask kirtle greatly trimmed with jewels and her fingers, neck and hair also greatly adorned with them. _How strange,_ she thought yet again, of the heavy and jewel encrusted gowns of this court. She watched the glimmering dancers. _I certainly stand out strangely_, Alanna reflected, and laughed softly to herself at the strange Tortallans. The ball was coming to an end and people were filtering out. The Prince came to escort her to her chambers.

She got up and walked beside him. They were wordless yet again as they walked to her chambers and Alanna could hear the happy whisperings and laughter of other couples. _But our time shall come,_ she thought. They reached the doors of her chambers and he kissed her hand politely and they bid each other a good night.

A/N: Another chapter! I hope you don't think things are progressing too slowly, but it would be strange if they went faster, because this is only their second meeting. Anyway, please review!!! And give me plot suggestions if you want to. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.


End file.
